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Charities and Organizations Assisted

 

Chester Parks & Recreation - The Chester Parks and Recreation promotes healthy lifestyles by providing programs open to town residents. The department ensures maintenance and upkeep of seven park facilities in Chester. In addition, they run many self-funded programs including summer camp, swimming lessons, youth and adult basketball, American Red Cross courses, fitness classes, family weekend events, children’s field trips and after school activities. The Chester Rotary Club provides scholarships for Chester children to attend the Summer Program Day Camp. The support of the community helps Parks and Recreation maintain and improve these valuable resources for the public to enjoy. For more information - www.chesterct.org/parks.php

Camp Hazen YMCA - Camp Hazen is committed to helping youth develop valuable life skills through camping experiences that build healthy bodies, open minds and awakened spirits. Located on 150 acres on Cedar Lake, Camp Hazen provides a positive youth camping experience for thousands of campers each year. These campers come from all socio-economic backgrounds and from all over the world. Hundreds of campers are provided with financial assistance provided through the generosity of individuals, foundations, businesses and service clubs. For more information - www.camphazenymca.org

Motley Scholarship - Every year the Rotary Club of Chester offers a scholarship to a young person from the New Haven area to attend Camp Hazen. The scholarship covers two full weeks of overnight camp and includes expenses. This scholarship is in honor of Judge Motley, a U. S District Court Judge who grew up in New Haven and was a part time Chester resident. Judge Motley was a pioneer in civil and women’s rights and wrote her autobiography “Equal Justice Under Law: The Life of a Pioneer for Black Civil Rights and Women’s Rights”. For more information – www.chesterrotary.org

Tri-Town Youth Services - Tri-Town Youth Services works to create a community where youth are able to establish strong and positive relationships with family, school, peers, and the community. They provide information, resources, and innovative services and programs that meet the changing needs of families, youth, and our community. Tri-Town Youth Services supports families and youth, and our community and is recognized as a leader in the field of substance abuse prevention. For more information email - ttysb@aol.com

Shoreline Soup Kitchens & Pantries - “Providing food and fellowship to those in need”. Pantries are located in Old Saybrook,Westbrook, Clinton, Old Lyme and East Lyme and provide enough food for three meals for three days for those who attend, and those in their household. The food distributed includes fresh meat, vegetables, fruit, and dairy and non- perishable canned and packaged food and heat-n-eat meals. Additionally, meal sites are located in Centerbrook, Essex, Deep River, Chester, Old Saybrook,Westbrook, Clinton, and Old Lyme. Hot nutritious meals are prepared by volunteers and served family style. Those in need are welcome. For more information - www.shorelinesoupkitchens.org

Chester Community Fund - The Chester Emergency and Fuel Fund was established in 1993 and since its inception has helped hundreds of town residents with health, housing, utilities, food and other emergencies. The fund is administered by the Chester Human Services department and is completely funded by voluntary donations. For more information – www.chesterct.org/social.php

Chester Hose Company – The Chester Hose Company is an all-volunteer force of highly trained firefighters, rescue workers and emergency medical technicians. These dedicated volunteers routinely put their lives at stake entering burning buildings and responding to a variety of emergency calls. Members are required to attend training classes on their own time. In June 2012, the Chester Hose Company will be celebrating 100 years of service to the community. For more information email - crchief70@aol.com

Early Childhood Council - The Early Childhood Council is committed to helping preschool children in the Region IV tritown area as they prepare for transition into kindergarten. The Council provides family and community resources to ensure optimal support to children ages 3 - 5. As part of their initiative they offer preschool scholarships to a growing number of 4-year olds in the district who would not otherwise have the opportunity to participate in a preschool experience. For more information - www.earlychildhoodcouncil.com

National Education for Assistance Dog Services - NEADS is our Rotary District Project of the year. The program provides assistance dogs for deaf and disabled Americans and combat veterans. Since its beginning in 1976, NEADS has matched more than 1300 dogs with disabled men, women and children across the United States. It costs approximately $20,000 to train one dog. For more information - www.neads.org

Chester Backpack Program - Late in 2010 authorities realized that students whose families qualified for the free lunch program at school may not be receiving enough food when they are not in school. This defiency was seriously affecting their school work. In order to reduce this problem, the backpack program began. On Fridays every week backpacks of food are provided to these children to feed them over the weekend. This school year the program is providing food to 15 students. The program is based at the United Church of Chester and supported by time and financial donations from church members along with generous support from the community, in particular the Chester Rotary Club. For more information - www.ChesterUCC.org

Bikes for Kids - For the past 21 years the Bikes for Kids charity, originally founded by Old Lyme resident Chuck Graebs, has been donating refurbished bicycles to disadvantaged children across Connecticut. After Graeb’s death two years ago, David Fowler has been managing the program. In 2010, 646 bikes were given away, and they’re just about on track to do the same this year. The organization depends on charitable donations of bikes, accessories, and monetary gifts. For more information contact David Fowler at (860) 395-7321 or by email at dfowler01@snet.net

Educational and Vocational Scholarships - Each year the Rotary Club of Chester awards two $2,000 scholarships to Chester students who exemplify the “Service above self” ideals of Rotary. For more information – www.chesterrotary.org

Rotary International Polio Plus - Polio Plus, the most ambitious program in Rotary’s history, is the volunteer arm of the global partnership dedicated to eradicating polio. For more than 20 years, Rotary has led the private sector in the global effort to rid the world of this crippling disease. Today, PolioPlus and its role in the initiative is recognized worldwide as a model of public-private cooperation in pursuit of a humanitarian goal. For more information - www.rotary.org/en/serviceandfellowship/polio/rotaryswork/pages/ridefault.aspx

Other - The Rotary Club of Chester also makes donations to help Boy Scout Troop 13 pay their insurance, to help support the Valley Regional High School Football Boosters and to provide dictionaries to all 3rd graders in Chester Elementary School. In addition, the club maintains an emergency fund for local assistance.

If you would like to make a fully tax deductible monetary donation to any or all of these organizations, you may do so by sending a check to The Rotary Club of Chester Foundation, PO Box 111, Chester, CT 06412. Please indicate in the memo line the organization of your choice. Thank you!